How to Paint What Doesn't Exist (James Gurney Art)

Have learned a lot from the artist. The colors. The tints. And his imagination has helped me in my art works. I pick up this book often and every time it give me more inspiration. He is not like other artists. He shares his knowledge which others seem to think they are too special to let anyone know their secrets.

Gurney always inspires with his work, but in this book he proves to be an excellent teacher, even for pro's. I have worked as a professional illustrator for over 15 years and this is one of these rare books that still motivates me to dig deeper. Great book!

James Gurney is obviously a master of drawing and painting realistic imaginative scenes in 3d perspective, but his book does nothing to teach you how to do any of it. He obviously knows all the technical stuff but doesn't tell you any of it in this book. This book is more of a showcase or a tour of James Gurney's work. There's no technical information in here. There's nothing practical or technical here that would help you do what he does. This book is just a waste of money and a waste of space. It is filled with big color photos of his work, but no how-to info. Most art instruction books are worthless, unhelpful trash and this is yet another one. James Gurney has obviously worked very hard on his art throughout his life, but I think this book was very lazily written. It didn't help me at all. I found some good training videos online that actually teach you how to draw people, buildings, and other things in 3D from imagination. Maybe books are just a bad way to teach art and it should be done through videos instead.

This book should be called how to add dinosaurs to things. I was expecting a book that would outline a process by which i could gather my thoughts and render believable images of creatures, objects, and characters etc. from my dreams and imagination. Instead i got a book where almost ever image is detailing how to add dinosaurs to different scenes.

REASON TO BUY
Gurney makes lucid every primary aspect of illustration and fantasy in this book. His descriptions are clear, beautifully illustrated by his personal works. I've been studying art on my own, trying to utilize online resources, but those resources pale in comparison to this. This book does an amazing job of breaking down the complex and ineffable problems painters face. I learn something new everytime I open it! Not only that, but Gurney approaches art in such a passionate, humble, patient way that you just get so invigorated to make art alongside him. A steal for the price.

CONTENT
This book focuses on Methods and Design Elements: How to research/ do studies correctly, how a thumbnail progresses to a final piece, and tips for compositions. Loads of stuff from useful studio tools, to career options. It is a bible for the illustrator, an all in one that you can refer to whenever you are unsure.

I thought by looking at the fantastic creature on the cover that this would be a great book. It is not! There were paintings by Norman Rockwell, who painted real people. There were several sections on people dressed in ancient Greece, Asian and Africa. Still all real people from the past. There were some Dinotopia drawings. But overall it had nothing to do with creatures or fantasy. Almost everything in it was of people in pretty mundane back rounds. The cover in no way matches the inside.

When I first opened up "Imaginative Realism," the first impression that I formed was that the book reminded me of some of the older texts from the 1970's. There was something about the style of the text and the page layout that made me think of an older text from a used bookstore; I almost felt like I was walking through a hobby store. Though it may sound it, this is not a bad thing - in an age of Photoshop and 3D rendering programs, James Gurney's approach reminds the reader of the traditional approach to illustration.

That being said, this is no novice guide. There is no "the body is made up of shapes" step-by-step guide, this is no "How to draw" book for beginners. James Gurney assumes that the reader has a moderate to high level of skill in most of the areas he addresses. What he does explain are the ideas behind how the real world can provide insight into the fantasy realm. Maquettes, models, architecture, and even workable fixative - this is a great all around book for hobbyists as well as professionals.

"There is no line between fine art and illustration; there is no high or low art; there is only art, and it comes in many forms."

I knew I would love this book the moment I read this line from the section "Art in the Twentieth Century" detailing the shift from demand for original art to printing and publication. There is a progressive attitude here that treats all forms of art as a means to an end, tools to aid in the expression of a vision. Leave all your doubts and fears at home because you are here to create, not quibble over what's better or pays more or what art form is more worthwhile!

I just adore that.

For those who don't know him, James Gurney authored the masterfully illustrated series of Dinotopia books, which show what life would be like if humans and dinosaurs lived together in a world much like our own. Having penned and illustrated adventures in his own fantasy world, Gurney shares his extensive experience in doing just that - depicting believable worlds that do not exist through a variety of illustrative methods.

Gurney explains a brief history of illustration, how industry focus has changed, and what drew him personally to become an artist. The following sections detail his workspace, developing styles, and identifying artistic influences - all useful for expressing our own unique takes on imagery using the tools and strategies of those who came before. There's a constant emphasis on developing the idea over the technique in this book, such an important philosophy I wholeheartedly agree with! For if the seed of a creative idea is there, then it's only a matter of having the patience to train yourself to realize it. The toughest part of creation has already been achieved!

There are so many moments while reading this book where I felt a sense of awe and enlightenment. Gurney put words to concepts I have never been introduced to, even being a college-trained artist! His sections on composition and tonal development are some of the most golden nuggets of wisdom I've read. This book is what my college education should have covered. Everyone knows Line, Shape, Form, Texture, Space, etc...but do you really understand how it applies to creating a successful artwork? I feel that Gurney helps to bridge the gap between these esoteric theories by giving us real examples of his working process from conception to realization.

Other techniques that really struck me are Gurney's utilization of maquettes to serve as references for his images, which allows him to bring a level of realism to his lighting and placement that would be difficult to glean from the mind's eye. For characters that appear in multiple paintings, he suggests using a head maquette for achieving consistency in depicting those characters again and again. What a novel idea! Sometimes it takes a good book like this to make us start thinking in simpler modes.

The final sections briefly cover Gurney's painting process and suggested career paths for artists with tidbits of advice from someone who has been there and done that. This forthcoming advice is the kind of gold that makes this book priceless and a must-have for any artist.

While the majority of this book is not presented in a step-by-step manner, I found his examples illustrated his points eloquently and Gurney's philosophy on art and work methods in general to be just as helpful. His philosophy and conceptual advice make this book relevant to digital artists as well, even if most of his specific techniques are traditional.

This one's a must-have for any artist's collection! I'm looking forward to adding the rest of Gurney's books to my library as well after the inspiration and motivation this one has given me.

Being a huge fan of Dinotopia, I was extremely excited to learn how the creator imagined up all those wonderful characters and settings and I was not disappointed.

The tone of the book is not overly academic and the author is not condescending. In fact, the writing style is rather conversational and has a "do what you feel most comfortable doing" approach while explaining how he approaches his various projects.

The book is broken up into the various sections, each building on the prior:

* Tradition: He offers a basic overview of art through the ages along with the process and influences of some great artists.
* Studio: What items one might need in her personal art studio along with lighting equipment, mediums, and tools.
* Preliminary Sketches: How to warm up your imagination, how and why thumbnail sketches can be helpful along with storyboards. He also dips into perspective and how to play with broad spectrum color.
* History & Archeology: This section explores how art tells stories and how we can use history, along with perspective, to capture these stories.
* People: Drawing people can be tricky, because it's simple to draw two eyes, a nose, a mouth, and limbs, but the key is to bring out the expressiveness of character through facial expressions, posture, and costumes. This chapter also delves in using tools such as live models, photographs, maquettes, and setting to amplify these types of drawings.
* Dinosaurs: When people think of dinosaurs, snarling frightening reptilian beasts come to mind, but Gurney challenges us to think of them in a broader perspective, such as going about their daily business (i.e. scratching an itch). Not only that, but placing them in uncommon settings or offering them uncommon elements, such as clothing. He even discusses the benefits of sculpting your own miniatures.
* Creatures & Aliens: What would a book on painting what doesn't exist be without a section on all things far-out? But this chapter does more than explain how to imagine an alien, it broaches the subject of mythology (mermaids), the preternatural (human hybrids), supernatural (skeleton pirates), and fantasy (animal characters and cyborgs).
* Architecture: Building a city is involved. There are four steps (one of which involved sculpting a maquette) and plenty of time invested, but the end result will be nothing short of magical because although the city might exist nowhere besides your imagination, it might be enough to fool the mind into thinking it does exist somewhere tangible.
* Vehicles: Gurney offers valuable advice when he says "start with the familiar." He then elaborates by explaining how to mold various objects into a vehicle or exaggerating its features to create something entirely new, but realistic.
* Plein-Air Studies: Our world is rife with settings and people and animals which can be sketched on location and then transformed into something fantastical. Gurney explains where and how to look, paying especially close attention to colors and shapes.
* Composition: This section discusses how to arrange everything you've learned in the previous chapters into a powerful image with the most impact through tonal values and shape placement. There is even a section which discusses eye-tracking, or the movement of one's eyes as they look at something, and how to exploit it in your artwork.
* Procedure: In this section, Gurney gives the general run down of how to proceed with a painting--the first section which could be seen as a "stey-by-step." It continues by explaining how to combine all the elements into a finished piece of art.
* Careers: The final section is a nice tack-on for anyone interested in developing an art career. It has sections for paperback covers, movie, video game, toy, and theme park design.

When I finished, I was blown away by how much art education was packed into such a short book. A majority of the chapters expresses the benefits of creating a maquette, or small sculpted model, when developing a character or scene. This might be overkill for some people, but it helps one think three dimensionally. And there were plenty of other tidbits peppered throughout which made me stop and say, "That's a great idea!"

It's important to note that this is not a typical "step 1, step 2" how-to-paint book. It's main goal is to offer advice and tips for bringing out your own creativity and developing your own artistic skills, so having a strong foundation in traditional art techniques would be helpful.

Comparing this book to the other books in my library on art techniques, this book ranks right up there with the best of them, but one thing makes this one even better than the others: as the title states, it actually provides instruction on how to effectively create that which has no concrete model to work from.

Mr. Gurney starts out with a brief introduction to what prompted his writing of this book, a discussion of art history and the methods employed by historical artists in conveying what doesn't exist, and moves from there into his instructional content. He discusses the studio, using simple, clear descriptions of the tools and materials that might be considered in the creation of the imaginary, or extinct. Subsequent chapters discuss topics ranging from architecture, dinosaurs, robots and machines, and fantastic animals, all the while showing the use of small models, sketches, costume elements and other visual aids for the creation of the elements to be used in the art piece. Mr. Gurney then adds in traditional techniques and artistic elements, and guides the viewer, step by step, towards modifying these for use in creating artwork that depicts the imaginary. In the latter portion of the book, he explains how and where these techniques and the artwork created from the utilization of them can be put to use in the real world, occupationally speaking.

The content of each chapter is easy to follow, informative, but not so heavy or textbook that it puts you to sleep. His writing and instruction is engaging, and motivating. The sections are concise, interesting, and short enough to provide you the information, and then the inspiration, to take what you've just learned and want to immediately put it to use (at least, that's what happened to me as I read through it).

For the artist that has a good idea of what he or she wants to create, but no real world model of it, this book is great in showing you where and how to start, and how far you can take it. Mr. Gurney makes suggestions for acquiring models that are suitable for any price range, not just suggesting purchasing what you need from art supply stores, such as modeling clay to build on your basic models in order to create what you're trying to depict, but encouraging the reader to hit up thrift stores and yard sales in order to stock your studio with any variety of costume elements or useful odds and ends that can be employed in the setup for your artworks.

In Imaginative Realism, James Gurney leads you through taking the real, and manipulating it to create the imagined, with the perfect, flesh and bone framework underneath to assist you in creating not just the fantastical, but the believable fantastical. As someone who's always enjoyed escaping to fantasy worlds, but not always found bringing my art with me to be as easy as I'd like, Mr. Gurney has created a brilliant road map to lead the reader down the path to successful fantasy art creation. This book is a pleasure both to read and look at, and makes learning how to create truly high quality fantasy artwork easy and exciting.

There's no question in my mind that this book belongs in the collection of any artist that has even the remotest interest in creating non-standard art, be it Fantasy, Sci-Fi, scientific re-creation, or anything that lies in between. I'm SO glad to have this book in my collection! I know it's going to be an invaluable resource!

I got this book because I thought my talented artist son (of Tunnel Sun Studios and Geek Fight design/illustration fame) would enjoy adding it to his reference shelf. Now that I've been through it, I know he will absolutely love it--but I loved it, too! I was absolutely enthralled by the book. I had no idea what goes into producing effective fantasy artwork, and now I can better appreciate my son's skill--and even remark on his technique instead of just saying "that's really nice."

Reading the book and comparing Gurney's works to my son's, I was able to see which methods he is already using in his artwork and also be tickled to recognize those that he'll be intrigued with that he may not have already tried. Some chapters are subject-oriented (people, creatures, architecture, history and archaeology, etc.) and some deal with composition, procedures, and working habits. All of the chapters are largely structured to demonstrate under-the-hood methods and techniques to achieve particular ends, and we can see how the works unfolded in Gurney's studio through various stages. Gurney even shares timeframes for completion (increasing my appreciation for what goes into works like these) that I think most aspiring artists will find helpful.

The material and techniques are presented succinctly, in engaging two-page spreads, designed to give the gist so that intermediate-level and professional artists can draw immediate conceptual benefit without bewildering beginners and non-artists with a lot of technical information. Gurney stresses that his approach is suitable for both digital and hands-on illustration. Excellent Recommended Reading and Glossary sections appear in the back to entice and inform all levels of readers, and the Index is well-organized and complete.

At the beginning of the book, a Studio section takes us into Gurney's studio and gives some great ideas for making tools at low cost as well as how best to conserve the more expensive ones. I saw at least one thing I can give my son as a graduation present: a Gallery Flambeau! (ROFLMAO!) The book ends with a Careers section that I found especially reassuring. Here I was worrying about my son's ability to find a job with an art degree, but now I feel a lot better about his prospects.

Finally, the design of the book itself is both classic and appealingly edgy; a high-quality glossy paperback with lots of air and color, it would make a fine coffee table book/conversation piece, even for non-artists. I liked the typeface on the back cover so much, this seventies-era typographer went on a hunt for it: Claxton, I presume. Engaging with this book really brought back for me my own creative exploits when I was a young adult about my son's age, and "that's really nice."

In the introduction for "Imaginative Realism", James Gurney describes his book, in terms of what it is not: a step-by-step drawing and anatomy guide (of humans or dinosaurs, as the author of Dinotopia puts it) nor is it a recipe guide for particular painting techniques. He's right of course, although the book contains elements of all this and much more.

"Imaginative Realism" is one of those art books that can appeal not just to practitioners of illustration at all levels but fans as well. Gurney takes this work very seriously and plots a direct lineage to nineteenth and twentieth century masters of the form. We've seen this kind of "realistic fantastical" illustration in old books and magazines and it's fascinating to see how a contemporary artist can reinvent the approach in such a fresh way.

The book takes the form of a series of two or three page spreads, each illustrating a particular aspect of the creative process that goes into creating the kind of illustrations Gurney has done for magazines such as National Geographic as well as his before-mentioned Dinotopia series of books. Gurney portrays "realism" even when it includes fantastical elements such as creatures organic and robotic. He juxtaposes the most natural human portrayals with, well, the most unnatural situations and characters and makes it all look as ordinary as Norman Rockwell (one among many he obviously admires).He seems to have soaked up a vast ocean of illustration and has the chops to filter and reassemble it at will.

There's low-level drawing and painting techniques and tools as well as the details of furnishing one's studio for effective and efficient work. There's high-level concept and "drawing" inspiration from the work of past masters. The historical asides really add to the sense of past connection. Gurney obviously relishes sharing his passion for the masters of this genre and it makes for contagious reading.

James Gurney has an encyclopedic knowledge of art, art history, methods, and materials, as readers of his daily blog, Gurney's Journey, know. His thorough grounding in the foundations of art shine through on every page of this new book. There are a few pages devoted to traditional materials and methods, but most of the book contains information any artist, digital or otherwise, will find helpful. Even if you're not painting fantasy images, you'll find useful techniques for composition, altering lighting, color schemes, focus, directing the eye, telling a story, and so forth. Gurney gives quite a few examples of how he creates models, known as maquettes, to paint from. These help with composition and lighting. You may find that, instead of learning a complicated 3D package to create buildings and space ships for your paintings, all you really need is some Sculpey. Need a reference for a mountain? Take a hike and look around for some craggy rocks. Sometimes we get stuck in a "digital fishbowl" and forget that sometimes the old methods are still the best.

This is a beautiful book that's a pleasure to browse. Fans of Dinotopia will find the "making of" information interesting. Artists of all stripes will find useful information here. Most of the time, your photos need to be adapted or combined with other references. Learn how to make it work with this wonderful book by James Gurney.

Imaginative Realism by James Gurney is the kind of book you can skip the words and just look at the pictures. Amazing art, truly amazing art, very inspiring. All the same, you will get a lot more value from the book if you actually read the text. This book assumes that you already can draw realistically. The writing is clear and charming.
As with most art technique books it has a chapter on materials and a chapter on how the studio is set up. Gurney has a long mirror on vertical hinges so he can swing it out for various views. He also has an outdoor "gallery flambeau" that he and his son invented. It's a magnifying glass, curved mirror and a stand for holding paper. He uses it to destroy the artwork he does not want to keep.
The amount of preparation he does for each illustration is impressive. Gurney makes plastic clay models of his main characters so that he can be very consistent in his renderings. He also uses toys of animals. He puts together quick models of buildings and street scenes. These he uses to study lighting. He and his friends dress up in costumes so that he can make accurate drawings. He works a little from photographs of these attires.
Gurney shares his techniques and gives excellent advice on career directions.
If you are serious about realistic fantasy art, this is an excellent reference and inspiration. Six stars, no sweat.

James Gurney is the Artist who brought us 'Dinotopia' and many glimpses of the ancient world in the pages of National Geographic. For the artists among us he has written a how to with illustrations on how he clothed his models and set up the scenes.

He gives some great advice on where to find costumes, how to look at scenery to create your backgrounds. I found it interesting that painting what doesn't exist means not only creating scenes of fantasy and futuristic landscapes but also scenes that used to exist such as an Etruscan Funeral or a Cretaceous water hole.

The art in the book is the best part. There is of course scenes from dinotopia some of which have sketches and storyboards included. There are many of his regular Dinosaur paintings which are very detailed and lifelike.

I like his historical scenes done for National Geographic. He puts the viewer right in the middle of Etruscan Funeral proceeedings or on the deck of the U.S.S. Cumberland as she is shot to pieces and sinking at the hands of the C.S.S. Virginia.

This book will appeal to art lovers and artists alike and is great to just sit and quietly browse. I see something new in the Artwork every time I enjoy it.

Imaginative Realism is a guide deep into the world of painting surreal characters being taught by a renowned artist. Before going much further it is important to note this book is not a "how-to" guide or tutorial book, it is more on the specifics of why you do something. You can go to any bookstore or search on the store for a slew of "how-to" books about digital and traditional painting, but will find very little on the specifics.

Sometimes its a good idea to know why you do something as it lets you expand on the concept, even if you take it in a new direction. The things I learned from this book have been both inspiration and process, which I am now using in my own work. I have found much of whats contained within this books pages is information most people go to art school for. Now I am not saying its a complete substitute, but if you (like me) didn't attend school you will be sure to pick up priceless techniques and processes.

I highly recommend this book even if you aren't into sci-fi art/fantasy art. The processes alone make this book a 5-star!

James Gurney's Imaginative Realism is truly and impressive book and a work of art in and of itself. This isn't your average "how to draw such and such" type book. This is historical and methodical, referring even to the masters of the field and various methods. There are even chapters detailing the studio and various media.

This book is interesting whether or not you want to perform any of the techniques involved. The illustrations and images are grand and the text is enjoyable. This book takes the reader into the world of the creator and tells his story all the while instructing the interested artist in the ways and methods of creating realism in the unreal.

This book has been my introduction to James Gurney and I have to say it is a very impressive first impression. This is clearly a very talented individual, not only in his art, but in writing, as well. I am truly impressed.

Laden with color photographs and wisdom from a true professional, "Imaginative Realism" is a perfect reference for traditional painters and digital artists.

The text is written with a personal, friendly, conversational style, which is easy to comprehend. The tools presented may be useful to both neophytes and advanced illustrators. In terms of readability, sections are kept short, yet enumerated; and the author provides resourceful tips and tricks of the trade (i.e. how to use mirror study, projecting behaviors, essentials of acting in character, and other useful advice).

This book is a good investment that guarantees progress and maybe near-perfection.

This beautifully illustrated book is a must for any fan of James Gurney's Dinotopia. Beginning and advanced artists will also appreciate the step-by-step instructions into the process of creating this type of artwork.

The book is highly organized; each page spread is on a different subject. Some of the topics include architecture, composition, dinosaurs, people and vehicles.

You may think it's easy to draw something that doesn't exist; after all, how can you be wrong? This book disproves that notion, and shows you how to breathe life into your fantasy artwork.

This book is both beautiful and functional. It's a brilliant tutorial on making the imaginary real; it's also a thick compendium of beautiful images of the author's successes in this endeavor. The examples are built around real, serious drawings and paintings; no flimsy pedagoguery here. The text is informative and the writing style is natural and comfortable to read. I'd recommend this to any would-be fantasy artist, at any level: there's so much between these covers that every practitioner, regardless of experience, will learn something from this book.

This is a excellent book on the subject of painting fantasy. But beyond the technical, the author delivers his point of view on how to imagine these worlds, sharing tricks he uses to find inspiration that allow him to deliver realism. This is a must read for fantasy, sci-fi painters but budding futurists and illustrators would benefit as well.

James Gurney is one of the most talented illustrators around. Imaginative Realism is a rare opportunity to pull up a chair in his studio and watch a master at work. Although instructive, Gurney's tone throughout the book is encouraging and familiar. In other words, he addresses the reader with respect rather than the condescending tone I've sensed in other texts. He includes countless sketches, finished works, as well as step-by step photos, all of which shed light on his technique. If you have admired his work in his Dinotopia books and wondered how he achieves such amazing results, this book will inspire and encourage you. He also has a very helpful blog that's worth a daily read.[...]

An instant classic that really gets into the nuts and bolts of doing professional illustration work. It is a rarity among popular art instruction books that they have both basic information and very professional level information. But this book has both. Great explanations, clear prose, and lots and lots of great pictures demonstrating the principles under discussion. And of course there's lots of amazing fantasy artwork by the author which is all reproduced excellently. In that way its also a Monograph of Jim Gurney's work, as it also includes lots of his other illustration work, besides Dinotopia, including some fantasy paperback book covers and some incredible Historical Pieces done for National Geographic. All of which is deconstructed to show us his thought process while composing and designing his pictures, the building and setting up models, the use of silhouettes, chiaroscuro, and value control, using research to assist the imagination and increase creativity, and many other facets of his workflow. There's also a nice concise history of imaginative art that starts the book off, which includes the best reproductions of a Howard Pyle and Dean Cornwell picture I've seen. I purchased this book directly from the Dinotopia Store, so I got it signed by Mr. Gurney. Well worth it, learned a lot very quickly.

This book is both beautiful and functional. It's a brilliant tutorial on making the imaginary real; it's also a thick compendium of beautiful images of the author's successes in this endeavor. The examples are built around real, serious drawings and paintings; no flimsy pedagoguery here. The text is informative and the writing style is natural and comfortable to read. I'd recommend this to any would-be fantasy artist, at any level: there's so much between these covers that every practitioner, regardless of experience, will learn something from this book.

This is a excellent book on the subject of painting fantasy. But beyond the technical, the author delivers his point of view on how to imagine these worlds, sharing tricks he uses to find inspiration that allow him to deliver realism. This is a must read for fantasy, sci-fi painters but budding futurists and illustrators would benefit as well.

James Gurney is one of the most talented illustrators around. Imaginative Realism is a rare opportunity to pull up a chair in his studio and watch a master at work. Although instructive, Gurney's tone throughout the book is encouraging and familiar. In other words, he addresses the reader with respect rather than the condescending tone I've sensed in other texts. He includes countless sketches, finished works, as well as step-by step photos, all of which shed light on his technique. If you have admired his work in his Dinotopia books and wondered how he achieves such amazing results, this book will inspire and encourage you. He also has a very helpful blog that's worth a daily read.[...]

An instant classic that really gets into the nuts and bolts of doing professional illustration work. It is a rarity among popular art instruction books that they have both basic information and very professional level information. But this book has both. Great explanations, clear prose, and lots and lots of great pictures demonstrating the principles under discussion. And of course there's lots of amazing fantasy artwork by the author which is all reproduced excellently. In that way its also a Monograph of Jim Gurney's work, as it also includes lots of his other illustration work, besides Dinotopia, including some fantasy paperback book covers and some incredible Historical Pieces done for National Geographic. All of which is deconstructed to show us his thought process while composing and designing his pictures, the building and setting up models, the use of silhouettes, chiaroscuro, and value control, using research to assist the imagination and increase creativity, and many other facets of his workflow. There's also a nice concise history of imaginative art that starts the book off, which includes the best reproductions of a Howard Pyle and Dean Cornwell picture I've seen. I purchased this book directly from the Dinotopia Store, so I got it signed by Mr. Gurney. Well worth it, learned a lot very quickly.

Very helpful, with good tips to draw and paint what you see in your own imagination. There are many books that tell you how to draw from life, or how to draw THEIR designs and images, but this is the first I have found that really helps to draw your own way.

Imaginative Realism explains the keys to the mysteries of art and how favorite painter James Gurney got that good (aside of just plain practice, of course). He shows you tricks and tools of the trade in a well designed format bursting with color and imagination. Not only artists will be interested in reading this book, other people interested in thinking and dreaming unrealistic things in very realistic detail will too. I would recommend this book to just about anyone!

(And if you buy it from his website, he will sign and personalize your copy for no extra charge!!)